Ended by the Sea
by Vanilla Bean CEO
Summary: Barbossa had sometimes wished that he could say he loved more than just the sea. But when he visits a woman who once thought she could claim his love, she realises that no woman could ever rival the temptation of sailing the vastness of the oceans forever. Barbossa/OC. Oneshot.


**Ended by the Sea**

**Summary: **Barbossa had sometimes wished that he could say he loved more than just the sea. But when he visits a woman who once thought she could claim his love, she realises that no woman could ever rival the temptation of sailing the vastness of the oceans forever.

**Pairings: **Barbossa/OC

**Disclaimer: **This fan-fiction represents the official views of the voices in my head.

**Warnings: **None

**Edit: **this fanfiction has been rewritten as of August 2012. My apologies to the characters for taking away their happy ending.

* * *

Once more, the Black Pearl was under the command of Barbossa, the man who had died and lived again – Though it was not like that was anything particularly special anymore. These days any old pirate, it seemed, could come back to life. His actual and final death hadn't been particularly final at all and his completed service to Calypso had provided him with a second chance and a renewed desire to never taste death's chill again. The only solution to his tenuous mortality was the legendary fountain of youth which he had most fortuitously gained the charts which would lead him to it.

Jack Sparrow's theft of the charts had been an unfortunate set back but all things can be found in Tortuga and rather than sailing the Caribbean in desperate such for the elusive Sparrow he had returned to the ribald port and set his crew loose with the orders of 'Do no be getting yerselves lost. I'll be sailing without ye if you cannae be found' after which they had dispersed into the port ready to spend whatever gold they had left on drink, whores and food (in that order). Watching the crew disperse into the port, Barbossa took a drink from his own flask for fortitude before stomping off the ship, into the town and then beyond into the surrounding hills.

The hills surrounding Tortuga were not gentle slopes and were filled with trees and plants that desperately tried to snare a passing traveller and trip a weary stranger. Barbossa, however, was not a weary stranger nor a passing traveller. He had a clear destination, one that he could just see through the thick veil of green leaves – a small, wooden house with a brightly painted sky-blue door and a gently smoking chimney. Quite out of breath, Barbossa stopped and watched as his monkey ran ahead. Damning the creature's energy, the pirate lord continued moving forward, still puffing slightly, and came to the bright little door. He raised his hand to knock, then, eyes narrowing at the thought of having to wait for admittance, simply pushed it open and strode inside.

The inside of the little house was one room, spotlessly clean and well kept. Piles of books were in orderly stacks on a table in the centre of the room, herbs and flowers hung from the ceiling in well organised bundles. A wicker bed was pushed into one corner and a small, neat, kitchen was in another. The smell of something wonderful was emanating from the little cooking area and Barbossa stepped further into the house to investigate, feeling rather peckish after his hike through the hills, only to stop when a cough sounded from the still ajar front door.

Barbossa spun around to see a tall, thin, woman garbed in pale blue dress with long wet hair and small basket of clothing cradled in her arms. She put the basket down and folder her arms imperiously, "Well, well," A small smile graced her face, "You're looking a bit shabby."

"Yer not to be looking so young, yerself."

"It is hardly my fault that you haven't come to visit me."

Barbossa raised an eyebrow as she tossed her wet dark hair over one shoulder and picked the basket of clothing back up. She moved into the centre of the room, placing the basket on the table, and began taking out what looked to be freshly laundered linen. She had been in the process of washing the few linens she possessed.

"I wasn't interrupting anything was I?"

She twisted the fabrics in her hands "No Hector. You were not. Merely several years of relative solitude," Her eyes flashed to the monkey, "I see you kept my little pet, come here darling." She crouched down and held out her arm so the little animal could climb on "What did you name him?"

"Jack."

"Jack." She said flatly, tickling the monkey behind an ear, "After Jack Sparrow I imagine. The man whose ship you stole, twice from the appearance of things."

"How would you be knowing about that?"

She sniffed, returning to her laundry, "At least he came to visit me, Sparrow, I mean. He called on me after you first stole his ship. We had a rather entertaining evening though neither of us knew of the curse then."

"Jack Sparrow paid ye a visit?"

"Yes. He did. You look quite surprised that I can attract company. Seeing as though my company was such a burden on you that you fled to sea for nearly twenty years. I suppose the prospect of my entertaining others is quite a foreign one to you. It hardly matters I suppose. You've come back after sailing the Caribbean for a decade under a horrendous curse only to get yourself killed the moment you're free. I've hardly ever mattered to you why should it change now I wonder. Your first act upon resurrection was to sail to World's End in search of Jack Sparrow. I don't exactly fit into your life. What do you want?"

"I want you. Right here with me."

"A likely story to be sure. You know you're just going to sail away in that stolen ship again. You married me, stayed long enough to make sure I couldn't run off and then left!" She paused, "You stole me from my father!"

"Now wait just a moment!" He pointed a finger at her, "As I remember ye weren't so adverse to the stealing!"

"You... you stole me!" She trailed off into silence for a while, "Honestly, Hector, did it never occurr to you to visit me? Not once in ten years?"

"How long have ye been up here? Last I heard ye were living on the main land."

She glared at him, "Times change. I haven't been to the mainland for nearly eight years." She turned away and went to move back out of the cottage.

"I heard about Anna. I'm sorry Nora."

Nora turned around, slowly, to face him, "Don't you dare. You aren't sorry Hector so don't even dare to pretend you care. If you cared you would have been here."

"Nora.."

"Hector." She stared at him for a long moment and slowly her eyes began to fill with tears, lip quivering slightly, "I couldn't help her when the fever came and so my ever generous Father took her away."

In two long strides he had crossed the room and gathered her into his arms. Nora went deathly still in his arms but he could still feel the minutest of tremors as she held back sobs. "What d'you mean your father took her away?"

"Just... just that. She took the fever and somehow my f-father found and he came to us. He said he would take her to where she could get proper 'medical' attention." She paused to stifle a sob, "He took my child and she never came back. I never got her back!"

"Why would he be taking her? You've always had a witching about you."

"To punish me!" She snapped, "To punish me for defying him and running off with a pirate!"

"Tell me about or daughter," He said in an attempt to pacify her. The reports of the disgrace of aristocratic Elinora Judge and her 'bastard' child had long been old news by the time they reached him and their validity was never well assured. Nora's disgraceful marriage he had been intimately aware of. He hadn't been so sure if there had ever been a child.

Nora took a deep breath, "She looked just like you. Blue eyes, auburn curls, barely a bit of me in her. She reminded me of my sister though, when she was a baby, something in the shape of her face... I haven't seen my sister in such a long time. I wonder if she married, almost certainly..."

"You still think of them?"

She laughed, a bitter, harsh sound, "I did care about my brother and sister, you know. It was my father I didn't like."

"Yeh were in.. Spanish Town I heard."

"Yes. I had a friend there who invited me to stay with her and her family. I was happy there for a little while. Anna was happy, she was such a friendly girl, friends with all the other children... everyone quite adored her."

"Sounds like you, my Nora."

"Hardly. She loved dressing up, she loved to draw, she loved to be told stories. Her favourite stories were about her dashing pirate father." She gave a shaky laugh, "She's dead these ten years past. Oh.. I bet she's the most beautiful angel in all of the heavens."

Nora sighed deeply, resting her head against his chest and he leaned his chin on top of her damp hair. She closed her eyes tightly, pretending for a moment that she was the same, trusting, girl she had been before Hector had entered her life. Young and trusting, a fool, she thought bitterly, a fool who ruined herself by loving a man who shouldn't have been trusted at all. The sad thing, she realised, was that she still loved him.

Barbossa breathed in deepy, "Your hair, it smells like.."

"Apples." She finished for him, "Yes. Whenever I can I squeeze some apple juice into my hair when washing it. Apples have always reminded me of you."

"An expensive partiality."

"Yes but I do well enough for myself. I've become something of a hedge witch, the whores pay well enough for soothing creams for their various infections and I've delivered plenty of bastard children over the years. I earn gold enough to buy what I need and even what I don't... apples. I always try to have some on hand in the hope that you'd come-a-calling."

"Ye always were the dreamer, the hoper. D'you dream of the sea still?"

"No." She shook of his arms and ran her fingers over the table, "That time has passed. Long ago. The sea can make you happy for a time, but she always turns on you in the end."

"Nora... when we first met you wanted nothing more than to sail the seas."

"When we first met!" She sounded incredulous, "When we first met you were masquerading as a wealthy trader, fooling my father into squandering even more of his wealth. When we first met I was hardly more than a child and the burden of my father's command rested heavy on my shoulders. Of course I wanted to sail the seas, I wanted to be free and to be happy. The sea has not brought me freedom or happiness. What I have, I earned it for myself."

"Yeh stared at me all night. Talked so longingly of the sea..."

"Yes. I stared at you. I talked of the sea. I was in love with you the moment I saw you Hector, I knew you weren't what you were pretending to be. You were socialising with my father... looked right at me and smirked. Walked over, took my hand, kissed it and then walked away. I was lost to you Hector." He was staring at her in surprise as she continued, "You must have liked me at that point, you followed me back to my room when I retired. No. I don't want to hear explanations, I don't regret that much of what has happened."

She sat down on the table, "Tell me now, why did you really come to visit me?"

"Well... I..."

"Truth, Hector. I know you wouldn't come to visit me unless you had some proper reason. I must admit I never imagined to see you again. So now, tell me the truth."

"Would ye be willing to disclose the location of the fountain of youth? Ye know where it is. You've been there, I know."

Nora sighed, "So that's why you came. Was 10 years of immortality not enough for you? Isn't this second life, the gift of your sea Goddess, enough for you?"

"One can never have enough life, my Nora, death's chill is always too close for comfort."

"My life's ambition was to raise our daughter in peace. I failed at that. Your ambition is to live forever. I had once thought to be young again, to be young forever, would make me happy but once I arrived at the fountain, I knew the only thing I want is to see my daughter again." She shook her head and carefully began to leaf through an ancient book that she had kept sitting on the table along with all the others. She mutely offered it out to him, open on a page with a small but intricate map, "Take it, Hector. Maybe it will bring you happiness."

"Yer price?"

"Time exacts its own price and you'll have nothing but time if you have your own way." She paused and gazed at him speculatively, "I... will you stay? Just for a little while... just for tonight. I'm going to be alone again... for the rest of my time on earth I imagine. Can you spare one night for your sad, lonesome wife?"

Barbossa sighed internally at her request. He didn't want to stay, there were too many years, too many feelings and complications, between him and Nora. The news of their child made things worse, so many words and regrets that he would never be able to voice. Staying the night with her wouldn't make him happy and it probably wouldn't make her happy either but the gentleman in him made him acquiesce

"Fine. I'll stay with yeh fer one night."

"Thank you." She smiled a little at him, "There's a stream not far off. You can wash yourself there and I'll prepare food. In the morning you can depart with your map and set off on your quest for immortality."

He took off his hat and swept a small bow before handing her his hat and moving towards the door in search of the stream. Nora trailed after him, hat held to her chest, her mouth set in sad smile. His only love was the sea, and he would sail it forever. Her only love had once been him and once again he was running away from her to the only mistress who could ever keep his love. Any love they could ever have had been ended by the sea before it had even begun. One day she would see her daughter again and be happy but all the time between then and now would be filled only with longing to be as beloved as the sea.

* * *

Sorry Nora. No happy ending for you anymore. What did you expect when you married a pirate?


End file.
